Ars Imago 320 film Review, Lab Box company
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- My full review of the little known Ars Imago 320 film. This film exceeded my expectations and in my opinion is one if the greatest BW films out there, I rate it above Tri-x and even HP-5. What impressed me is the way it behaves in direct high contrast sunlight, retaining highlights and shadows not needing much editing. its an italian film snd not common in the US but check my links below for where to get it.
Purchase 35mm Imago on US Amazon:
amzn.to/3ftRXqV
Purchase 120 medium format Imago on US Amazon:
amzn.to/3gS52um
Same company that makes the Lab box
Gear I use:
Lumix G7 here on Amazon
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Panasonic 25mm f1.7 lens
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Panasonic 25,, lens review
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Sigma 19mm 2.8
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Sigma lens review
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K&F articulating tripod
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Articulating tripod review
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Carbon fiber travel tripod
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Standard Aluminum tripod
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Esddi Two softbox Kit
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Esddi lighting kit review
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Pixel MK7 wireless mic
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Pixel MK7 review
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Comica wireless dual lav mic system
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Maono wired Lav mic I use in this vid
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Maono review
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He seems like a genuinely kind man. Subscribed.
Thank you, he tries lol
He is a good friend of mine he is the best....
@@MultiSpeedr Aww thanks Pete, you're a big teddy bear under the tough exterior, you got me choked up. 😊
Really enjoyed this video review on Ars Imago 320. Your other reviews are also excellent. It's also fun to see your family photos - I don't know why, but I always enjoy these kind of pictures, from you and other UA-camrs. Keep 'em coming!
Hello Naomi thanks so much, yes that's one thing I learned is having people in the photo brings life to them. I love this film too and I was just thinking this morning I wouldn't mind having more rolls in medium format. I reached out to the company a few times to see if we could collaborate but they don't respond which is a shame because they could use some promotion
Thanks for putting me onto this film. Great examples can't wait to try it.
Hey thanks man, Its very worthy. Ive tested many bw films that I get blah results from. Id also like to see this in a 100 ISO.
Feels weird hearing my name in a video. Did you grow the mustache just for this review? Haha. Great shots, Ray.
Hahaha thanks man. You know when Corona lockdown hit I said why the heck am I shaving so much so I decided to grow out the mustache. Strange enough the Fuji you sent I used it in a Leica iiif I bought and the lens was defective and everything came out focused behind the subject , I returned the lens but that roll was no good, and the ferrania was super high contrast I only got a few keepers. did you get to try the lab box that came with the Imago?
Another great vid. Also I’m digging the stache. Keep up the great work!
Hey thanks man, all I need next is some sideburns lol.
This video is going to make me get back into film, dang it! Its funny, we have all of this advanced technology, and we are in awe over a 60 year old camera with some little known 35mm film lol. I'm just going to remind myself that the photographer is a big reason why it came out so good, and then that will also save me money lol. Great video man.🎞📷👌
Hey thanks so much man. The joke is my Lumix G7 has a artistic filter mode called rough monochrome that replicates film grain not too bad. I have to turn the sharpness down in the editor though to make it less digital looking.
I always watch your film reviews even though I don't shoot film myself 😆 But they are so relaxing and I always start dreaming of me getting in to film, but haven't gotten around to it yet! 😅
Hello thanks so much that's the biggest compliment anyone could say. Respect. I think shooting digital a lot of the same basics apply. can you can always put a vintage lens on your camera for that unique look. Can I see your social media work?
@@Raychristofer yes I do love vintage lenses and use them a lot in my Fujifilm X-T2 😊 It is a special feeling for sure. But I guess that will be even more enhanced if you use film. That's what I imagine anyway 😆
I am at Instagram under lyrics_and_reflections (random stuff). Than I have an account linked to My blog, but that's only about historical places and buildings (medieval churches, ruins and stuff...and it's in Swedish). That account is under jakt_efter_kulturhistoria 😊😊
I love these videos, very informative and I love your black and white photography.
Hello thank you Edward that was my dad's name by the way. For some reason I lost all interest in color Film, I developed a roll last week and after scanning I just threw away all the negatives there was no spirit in them. I may put together a Kodak TMax episode in the future
@@Raychristofer I'd love to see a video on how you develop your pictures from film. I admit it may be lost on the younger generation. I grew up with film but now I have moved on to digital which is probably not a good thing because everything is done for you if you put your camera on auto mode.
@@buggeroff9 hey we think alike. I've been working on a how to develop film at home video. I have much of it filmed already but need to complete more shooting and editing. Stay tuned
Awesome images, only after just getting back some blown out highlights and under exposed shadows in my last few rolls I can see what you're talking about in this video, I'm definitely gonna order a few rolls.. Great review Ray 👍🏿👍🏿
Goog looking out bro, honestly Im proud how many keepers I got from this one roll and the development and scanning went perfect.
@@Raychristofer that finger print shot and the VW car at the end , not to mention the portraits in the abandoned area, great metering as well.
@@burstongreye7090 I appreciate you taking you taking the time inspect them, it's interesting how some photos that may be mediocre to me maybe others favorites. I would love to see this film in a 100 iso version but if I had to choose one film for the rest of my life this would not be a bad choice.
Another wonderful video! The film looks amazing I have to give it a try Thanks Ray
Hello Ted thank you man I agree. I was trying to reach out to the company but I forgot to mention in the video they don't respond to social media or emails at least for me. by the way I just uploaded yesterday a video on how to develop black and white film at home feel free to check it out
New subscriber here. Great video, enjoyed your easy going, down to earth pace. Please keep up the amazing work and keep on shooting film!
Hello thanks so much. Feel free to check out my other analog reviews I've done as well. I'll probably be doing a review of Kodak TMax at some point soon
Nice video man, keep up the steady improvements!
Hey thanks much Sasha.
Great review Ray! Enjoyed it.
Hey thanks ,it's my fav film now
The best self portraits and overall great photos! Enjoyed the comparisons of films 👌🏽 that stash tho 🤔
Hahaha, thanks Joan , if I knew you were going to be passing through I would have shaved off the stache lol. If I remember correctly you mentioned you have a roll of this also so I'm giving you a friendly challenge to see if you can get as many keepers as I did, no presha 😎
Very well done, and such wonderful images. Thank you, kind sir.
Hello thank you MB, honestly this is my all time favorite film right now, I dont know why its not more widely known but in my opinion its superior to tri-x and HP5. your name sounds familiar,
@@Raychristofer You probably saw my picture on the Post Office wall.lol. I've been shooting b&w for almost fifty years and seeing the latitude of that film is really impressive. The shot of your lovely daughter and her dog is so well composed and exposed , it's wonderful that the film allowed you to express your vision. How was it developed? Ah, a key element with much room for exploration. Printing in a darkroom as I do, I would maybe pre-flash paper to hold off a bit of the glare through blinds, but that is a superb negative to work with. Thank you so much. I'm glad I found you.
@@michaelbailey1578 hello Michael thank you I really appreciate that and it's good to hear from someone who knows about shooting and developing. you just reminded me I should have mentioned in the video that I developed with rodinal and I should have put the recipe in case others want to do the same thing. I shudder to think how good it would have looked if I shot it in my Rollie
Yo Ray, I wanted to check out this video again just to see your excellent images. If I recall you said you've been shooting film for two years or so, but I assume you've been shooting digital for longer than that, you know your way around a camera and know how to use one well. May I offer a suggestion for anyone new to the game? I've been shooting all my life, my dad had a Yashica C twin lens back in the 50s but I didn't get serious about it until years later. The single biggest boost in my photography came from Ansel Adams' The Negative, Vol.2 of his famous series in which he clearly explains the Zone System that he and others created. Adams tells virtually everything you need to know about exposing a negative that will give the print you want every time, well almost. He shows how to look at a scene and evaluate its tonal range. Adams happened to be a master landscape photographer but it doesn't matter what the scene is or how you want to interpret it, understanding the Zone System, at least its basic ideas, has helped me immensely over the years. His darkroom teachings explain exactly how to develop the film to precisely meet your every need; pushing and pulling (he calls it expansion and contraction), water baths, dilute solutions, evrythng. Today, 40 years after I bought that book, it is sitting on our kitchen table. I'm sorry, getting long-winded again, but I urge you to get a copy if you haven't already. Thanks Ray for letting me spout. By the way, I shoot 8x10, 4x5 and medium format mostly but I spent 30 years as a photojournalist and so have run a lot of 35mm through an SLR.
Hello thanks much and it's nice to meet you. Interesting I watched a documentary on Ansel and yes I know the zine system is a great way to calculate exposure. Sometimes I feel it's more time consuming than just spot metering keeping in mind whether I want to prioritize highlights or shadows and many films don't always follow the zone systems time curve Soni tend to meter for the behavior of the film in the camera. He was a genius and developing, I also follow Clyde butcher who is a master of bw wildern as shooting. He might be more hardcore than Ansel as he wades into swamp and gator water to get his shots. Thanks and this is my favorite film at the moment
Interesting results. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Ian, respect
🙌🏾💥🙌🏻... Can't wait to try it 🙌🏾
Thanks man, I need more also.
Ray, something you might want to consider if you really enjoy using the rolleicord/flex.
Get an adapter (Bay to 39mm Screw-In), and a quality 3-stop ND screw-in filter. Load it with HP5 and rate it ISO 1600. In daytime, use the ND filter on the taking lens and meter ISO 200. In low light, remove the ND filter and meter ISO 1600.
The benefit here is twofold: 1. a substantial increase in grain size due to the push processing (giving the appearance of 35mm grain size) and 2. the versatility for different lighting conditions.
Make sure you figure out which "Bay" your Rollei uses, there are three different sizes: I, II, and III... yours is likely Bay I.
Hello thank you that's a great idea, yes it's bay 1, I have a yellow filter for it. Thanks man
@@Raychristofer no prob, fotodiox makes the bay to screw adapters.
@@WayneKnight_Rider very interesting, if I find it I will probably post it on the rolleiflex Facebook group I'm sure there are others who could benefit from that also
When I was a kid in England I dreamt of owning a Nikon F Photomic. As you quite rightly say, a lot of photojournalists used them in Vietnam, that and the Nikkormat.
LOL yes it's pretty perfect it even has mirror lock-up . The only thing I don't like is the light meter inside the prism it's kind of finicky and sometimes it doesn't respond when I move the aperture and shutter speed , I have to tap it sometimes but maybe that's due to age. The camera feels like it's three times as large as my Leica iiif.
Ray....another great Video.
Thanks man, this is one of my favorite videos and film. I need a case of it lok
Great images Ray! That Nikon F is a classic.
Hey thanks bro, yes the thing even has a mirror lock-up. I thought you abandoned ship and migrated to froknowsphoto LOL
@@Raychristofer LOL, don't think he'd like me because I still shoot jpeg, haha. Also prefer your more down to Earth content and style.
@@TeKnoVKNG23 you know something I've never really tried shooting raw because the editors I have I'm not too adept at using them but if I applied myself to shoot in raw I might see the benefits also
@@Raychristofer My D7100 had double card slots and my D3400 you could save it in both formats so I used to use the feature, but I'm still cheap and haven't got an editing program yet so there's really no point in having the raw file. Someday I'll come around to post processing and spend some money on a good photo/video editor, but if I'm being honest I like the natural way the photos come out of the camera. My limited program lets me touch up sharpness and white balance a bit and usually that's all I need.
Het Rey, thanks for the review . the film is a little too grainy for me MAYBE but nicely done and I love the F !!
Okay thanks Mike, T-Max 100 you might love it has super fine grain, it's my second favorite film you might dig it
Did you meter it at 320 ISO? It has nice grain, but really smooth transitions. Very cool, and thanks for the video!
Hello thank you yes I rated exactly at 320 and I didn't necessarily meter for shadows I would just point the meter at the grass for example or some neutral color on the subject. I'm curious how you came across this video, did UA-cam put it in your suggestions or are you a subscriber?
Awesome shots! this Is greatness!
Thanks, I was surprised too
Great review!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great film... You have to post where it is available..
Hello Lanc, you know I shot a segment about how it is not widely available in the United States but it was just too long and rambling so I left it out in the edit. I did put two Amazon links in the description where it can be purchased. it cost more than your average film and I'm curious if it's the same as foma retropan 320
It's so rare to come across a video that's not only informative but somehow incredibly relaxing too. I feel stress free AND motivated to try this film out. Please, keep the videos coming!
Hello thanks much Glen, that's probably why it takes me so long to upload between videos because I wait until I'm not in a rush and in a good mood how to shoot and edit. I'm super impressed with it also.
Great video, the sky didn't blow out and the clouds came out well, did you use any filters?
Hello Robert no filters, that's what caught my attention. On many films I have to decide which to edit for the sky or subject and one usually loses. I forgot to mention I develop in rodinal also. Thanks for the comment
been enjoying your channel, might even try to skateboard! anyway, how do you meter your film photos? what b+w developer do you use? and what scanner too? thanks so much
Looks a little like retropan320.
How many rolls of P30 did you use to dial in the proper metering and ASA settings?
Hello how are you? I only had one roll and I cant say it was dialed in lol. I actually developed a roll or retropan 320 yesterday and I have to say I thought they were rebranded versions of the same thing before I saw the difference. retropan is much more grainy and almost like a salt and pepper look. Imago for my tastes is the superior film especially in lower light situations. my retropan negatives look very thin also I wonder if they needed more development.
Hi! Great video there! Did you color graded this video or the colors are straight out of camera? What color profile settings have you used for your Panasonic G7 camera?
Hello thanks so much. No I don't color grade, it's highly overrated and unnecessary unless you're making a short film. The good thing about the g7 is you can adjust the curves even in bright sunlight to manage highlights and shadows so I always adjust in camera. Most important thing is to use an accurate daylight softbox bulb and set white balance first. For this I shoot standard profile
-3 contrast
+1 sharpness
+1 saturation
1080p. Never felt the need to use 4k. What camera setup you running?
I appreciate your time for answering me! I really liked the colors of your videos, especially the travel one, that's why I asked. I own a G7 myself, I'll adjust those settings as yours. Keep up the good work and great things will come!
I had these settings for a long time: Contrast -5, Sharpening -5, Noise Reduction -5, Saturation -5, before I switched to Sony A7 III. I was thinking that I will need to color grade my footage. I kinda regret doing so, it's a pain color correcting and grading in Premiere Pro. Now the Panasonic G7 it's a C cam for my 2x Sony A7 III.
This is a really good video. Like you said, the film is on a higher level than tri-x and hp5. Thank for the review.
Hey thanks man, my next mission is to find out what it is a rebranded version of, it might be fomapan retro 320 which is a few dollars cheaper per roll
Awesome video!
thanks, its my fav film, wanna try it in medium format
@@Raychristofer I went and ordered my first camera because of this video! I couldn't find that type of film in 35mm tho
@@redneckrollerblader3547 thanks so much. Try ultrafine extreme film it's the most affordable and very good looking. I reviewed it also in medium format. Let me know how you get along and if you have any questions let me know. Check out also my how to develop bw film review
@@Raychristofer thanks! i will definitely check it out!
Wow, that’s an amazing film 🎞! No need to push or pull?
Is it still available?
Hello, honestly I've been catching hell trying to find it. I noticed the Amazon link does not have it. Try freestyle photo. This film is manufactured in Italy I think which is a shame because I don't know if it's worth importing film The way shipping costs are
What did you rate this film at?
box speed 320
Yes I’ve never heard of this film lol looks good though
Thank you, it's pretty perfect for a 400 film, I can't fault it. Unless someone wants fine grain. It's not cheap though
I've been on that same journey. I started shooting film because I like the look of film (and I like using the cameras, and I like the whole film process). And then I found myself trying to get maximum 'quality'. Which makes no sense because for maximum 'quality' I've got an A7R2. I've learnt to embrace the 'shortcomings' of film, it's not all about clean and sharp. It's about interesting pics. The images I get from my 135 pinhole are some of my favourites. I still like medium format film, but for the look, not for the quality. Love the pics of your daughter... my daughter gets a lot of pics taken of her (instagram.com/p/CBdag2GnaKJ/ ). The 'shoot from below' tip is a good one. Oh and I'll cert try this film, not having blown out skies would be a great thing. Keep posting, love your videos.
Hey thanks so much man it's good when you get to experience a lot of different cameras because you tend to learn what you like and narrow your focus and your images naturally come out better with less effort. Pinhole man that's something I want to try especially for sea scapes . I'll definitely check out your feed man thanks for passing through.
If you like the grain of 35mm what do you think of the grain in half frame? I wish these things were more easy to focus... Every time I get an out of focus shot my heart breaks a little!
Hello I've never tried half frame, and I'm sure film choice would be even more important with that. I know what you mean about focus because my rolleicord sometimes will focus behind the subject for no reason the eyes will be slightly out-of-focus but the ears will be perfect. Or that could be human error of me not using the split prism properly.
Good one as always and yes Never have seen one such a film brand. And I thought I've seen it all!!!
Additionally Like your new Skin! Not only it (That mustache) fits you but also now you do resemble my all-time hero, Dr. MLK Jr.
Yes, the grain of film is nostalgic but that wild wild wild dynamic range of images!!! priceless.
Additionally that VW at the end, was really memorable to me, being my father's second car that I remember and the interior is vividly the same as my memories.... Can't tell how touchy it is to me.
Thanks for the good work.
Hello Sam thanks bro. its been a long time since we spoke. Im dying about the new skin comment lol, yes they say we replenish our skin every few months lol. When Corona hit I decided to grow the stache to see how it would look again. man its stiff like Boars hair but yeah youre the second person to match me with MLK. I love vw also, when i saw it on the road for sale I had to make a u turn. I once owned a vw aquareback, im sorry i sold it.
He also has the same voice 'timbre' as Sidney Poitier. Another great American,
@@tonyb2614 Hahaha thanks man. Respect
Alas, sold out. I hope other batches will come on the market as it really looks good.
Hello im so sad it looks like its available only in europe. real shame and they dont respond to emails or social media
Wow that film has a really nice, very cinematic vibe for lack of better words! Gotta get my hands on some of this!
Yeah man the grain is what got me. Trix in 35 mm is just too gritty and uncivilized a lot of times. Other films are a little too smooth. Before I shot film I heard people talk about the nuances of grain structure and I thought they we're being overly dramatic but if you're printing your work large or looking at it on a big screen the difference is very distinctive.
@@Raychristofer that's definitely something I need to look into a lot more in the future. So far I have not seen to many dramatic differences in b/w films - especially since you can edit them all to look the same contrast wise. I never saw reason to pay more for a Tri-X over a cheaper film where I can later adjust the contrast to the same level. But with the grain it's different of course since that can't really be changed in post ;)
Another great video Ray and some beautiful images . This film ticks all my boxes so may have to try a roll . Thanks again for the video 👍👍👍👍
Hey good looking out man. I almost didn't shoot a video review of it because I figured it's too obscure for people to click on. Ferrania on the other hand I didn't get many good shots with it and it was quite troublesome so that I probably won't be reviewing.
A saying I made up several years ago after a digital crash lost most of my digital pictures. "Digital for bugs and flowers-Film for family and friends. I value film because I know it will be there long after digital files corrupted or lost with the old cellphone etc.
Hello that's a great point. Imagine trying to play a vhs tape fifty years from now with family video on it. No players and the tape will crack. Scary.
@@Raychristofer
We are experiencing the first photo less generation. Think how far computer technology has advanced. Will we be able to view our digital files in another 50 yrs.
It's always nice to inject some reality into these "reviews". Start with Irs Imago. It doesn't make this film, or any other film. It's mainly known for developing the LabBox processing tank. Although it got 7x the funding it sought, it ran out of money and failed to completely fulfill its Kickstarter commitments on the L-B. It's really just a couple of retail shops in Switzerland and Italy. It couldn't afford to manufacture a film if you put a gun to its corporate head. This film is just a repackage item. Many do this, and most us some form of Fomapan or Orwo movie film. This was available only for a short period, somewhat before the video was posted. It's probably Chinese, made by Seagull. (the Chinese connection probably comes from having to get the Chinese to bail them out of the mess they made out of the LabBox production.) If you want to try it, CatLabs in the US sells it directly from its website, as available, including this ISO 320 version.
Interesting film stock, and good photos, they have an incredibly classic look! I think you've persuaded me to try and find some of this over here in the UK
Hello thank you, I hear a lot of people say they see it for sale in Germany but it doesn't seem to be widely, let me know how you get on with it if you find some. Let me know how you came across this video please I'm trying to figure out how the UA-cam algorithm works.
@@Raychristofer Not sure I'm going to be able to shed that much light on the mystery that is the algorithm, but I got one of your videos (I forget which one exactly) recommended to me, I watch quite a few videos on film photography so it must have picked up on that. Why your video specifically and not someone else's I don't know, but I liked the delivery and the content so I've stayed and subscribed now.
@@saml2023 thanks much Sam, you're the man
8:16 Winning shot. Great video! I'll be sure to try it out !
that imago is nice! im looking to get more into BW
Hey thanks for passing through ribs what's sad is it looks like they don't ship to the us anymore because it's not available anywhere and whoever has it is selling it for like 15 bucks a roll. I rate it above even HP 5,
Hey Aloy, great results, well presented as always. Which developer did you process it in, time / dilution / agitation?
Hello how are you thanks. I used Rodinal and what I normally do instead of cooling it down to 20 Celsius I use my room temperature water which is usually 26° Celsius and the developing app on my phone adjust the time. inside the box is development information and I actually don't remember how long it was it was probably something like nine minutes at 26.. I agitate slowly for the first minute and then every 30 seconds after. I also fully rinse out the stop bath before pouring in the fixer
@@Raychristofer Now that's interesting, since Rodinal can turn some film stock into some grainy mess, especially in combination with high temperature. I will definitely have a look at this film now!
Thank you for these additional details. Things are going okay here, I hope the same applies to you.
@@olafwDE sometimes I get super strong grain on certain films so you're right. All I know is Rodinal so maybe I should experiment with other chems
@@Raychristofer Kodak Xtol would be my recommendation then. It's a fine grain developer, especially for high ISO and pushed films. Besides being comparably eco-friendly, it's also pretty cheap: By replenishing, you can bring down developer cost way under 30 cents per roll, as seen on ua-cam.com/video/8TSpuq8e55w/v-deo.html
Have a great day and please let us know how things turned out if you're done with your experiments.
If you find a film that scans well for you, run with it! Seems like a great, underrated film, I have to try it out now! Thanks!
Hey thanks man. They say the best scanners are those wet Mount thousands of dollars scanners but honestly I have a 16 by 20 print on my wall using this scanner and it's so detailed I can see the strands of fabric in my clothes. I think the limit of this scanner though is if the film is overexposed the scanner light can't penetrate it well and those areas are full of blotchy noise so getting correct exposure is key.